THE political arena has become an increasingly crass and ugly place, where invective has overtaken debate, and basic civility is in critically short supply. For women politicians, it is far worse because they also have to battle the entrenched prejudice against females in the public space, which often emerges in the form of character assassination and threats. Social media platforms amplify the sexist vitriol. On Monday, the National Commission on the Status of Women in collaboration with the UNDP and UN Women held a consultative meeting on drafting a code of ethics to stop hate speech against women politicians and thereby enhance their political participation. One of the points highlighted on the occasion was that the ECP should include an undertaking in their forms for contesting candidates that they will not insult or disrespect women.

While women’s rights advocates have often called out those making female politicians the target of hate speech, a formalised response is a welcome and much-needed step. The requirements of a career in politics — interacting with people, of being accessible to them to a reasonable degree — are the very antithesis of what patriarchy demands of women. The loaded language that women politicians are often subjected to is therefore calculated to invite public scorn, essentially to shame them into silence. When leaders of mainstream parties indulge in this kind of rhetoric, as we have seen in the recent past, it sets the tone for their supporters to do the same. Of course, criticism is an occupational hazard of public figures but it must be limited to their work. If fewer women started venturing into politics, it would be a tremendous loss not only to the nation but also to the education of their male counterparts. As the NCSW chairperson pointed out, just 17pc women in parliament have led to men “behaving themselves on the floor of the House”. We need more women in politics, not less.

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2023